Cartridge holder



H. MASTERTON-SMlTl-i CARTRIDGE HOLDER Flled May 10, 1938 Patented Sept. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFME GARTRDJGE HOLDER Harry Masterton-Smith, Kenilworth, Cape Town, South Africa Application May 10, 1938, Serial No. 206,996

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a new and improved device for facilitating the rapid and complete loading of certain types of revolvers and guns in a single motion and is adapted particularly for use in the type of gun, revolver or (firearm) employing what is known as the breakdown or open breech action.

In the breakdown type of revolver, a revolving cylinder containing several chambers for cartridges, (bullets or ammunition) is mounted on a jointed frame which joint upon the releasing of a catch forms a hinge permitting the barrel and cylinder to fall forward and thus enabling the cartridges to be loaded into the chamber of the cylinder.

In the swing out cylinder type of. revolver the frame is not jointed, however, the chambers in the cylinder, when swung out to the side, are open and ready for charging just in the same way as the breakdown type of revolver.

Such loading has normally to be carried out by single cartridges being thrust by hand into the chambers successively until the cylinders are fully loaded, the revolver is then closed and ready for firing.

The ejection of cartridges in the breakdown type of revolver is practically automatic with the opening of the breech but in the swing out cylinder type the ejection of cartridges is done by hand one at a time but with the use of the new device all six cartridges are ejected simultaneously in one movement. It will be appreciated that the individual loading of the cartridges as above described is a somewhat laborious and cumbersome process and in an emergency or even otherwise valuable time is thereby lost.

The purpose of my invention is to facilitate the process of loading so as to minimise the time required for loading.

I have achieved the above purpose by mounting the cartridges in the form of a circular holder which enables all chambers in the cylinder to be loaded with a cartridge simultaneously and in one motion.

The holder remains in position when the revolver is being fired and upon the breaking of the breech of the revolver the ejection of the holder and cases as a whole is effected. The method is to inset the backs or bases of the cartridges in the plate which is the thickness of a cartridge rim, in their respective positions. To do this the insets must be drilled, moulded or stamped not quite the depth of the cartridge rims thereby leaving a small amount of the rim showing above the level of the plate. The insets will therefore have to be undercut so that when the cartridge rims are heavily pressed into the insets the undercut will accommodate the amount of metal rim showing above the level of the plate thereby forming a rivet and so solidifying the cartridges and plate. To complete the holder it will be necessary for apertures to be drilled, moulded or stamped over the positions of the cartridge caps sufliciently large to permit the firing pin of the revolver to strike the cap.

Naturally the plate will require certain adjustments to suit the type of revolver it is used for. The revolvers may vary in calibre and may also have chambers in the cylinder for 5 cartridges or more.

The method of use in my invention is as follows: The revolver is broken in the one case or the cylinder swung ou in the other and a holder or plate complete with cartridges is "thrust in to the cylinder in one movement the revolver is then closed and ready for firing.

After firing the revolver is again broken or the cylinder swung out and the cartridge cases with plate complete are immediately ejected automatically in the first case and with one motion of the hand in the other. These simple movements enable five or more cartridges to be loaded simultaneously in minimum amount of time.

A certain type of gun can also be manipulated with the same ease. In order that this invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect a sheet containing a drawing is appended hereto illustrating an embodiment thereof.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the cartridge holder.

a represents the insets on the plate.

1) represents the apertures for admission of the firing pin.

c represents the plate or holder.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the holder on line IIII of Figure 1.

(i represents the undercut.

e represents the cartridge.

1 represents the inset.

h represents the cartridge percussion cap.

Figure 3 represents a type breakdown, breech revolver with cartridges plate in position ready for insertion.

is represents the plate ready for loading.

Z represents the cylinder with chambers for receiving the cartridges.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is:

A cartridge holding clip for simultaneously loading the chambers of the cylinder of a revolver, said clip comprising a base plate of a thickness to be received between the end of the frame and the cylinder of the revolver, said plate having a plurality of circular recesses therein of a depth less than the thickness of the cartridge rims and apertures concentric with said recesses, said recesses being spaced to correspond to the cylinder chambers, each of said recesses being undercut whereby the portion of the cartridge rim above the plate may be forced into the undercut space for fastening the cartridge to the base.

HARRY MASTERTON-SMITH. 

